Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R S French.
A 71-year-old man had an increased pacemaker firing rate during helicopter transport. The increased rate, which resolved as soon as the engines were shut down, was thought to be due to the vibrations of the helicopter. We discuss the effect of vibration and electromagnetic force generated during helicopter transport on pacemakers. As the number of patients transported by air ambulances increases, the potential sequela must be recognized.
Myocardial contusion, (traumatic myocardial dysfunction) is a relatively common complication of blunt trauma. The diagnosis is often elusive. Studies using clinical and laboratory parameters often fail to detect patients with significant myocardial injury. No constellation of clinical signs, electrocardiographic findings, or cardiac enzymes has been sensitive or specific enough to evaluate such patients accurately. Recently, radionuclide angiography was found to be a sensitive indicator of myocardial dysfunction. The authors studied ten patients with blunt thoracic or multisystem trauma who had myocardial dysfunction documented by first-pass radionuclide angiography. Follow-up study within five weeks demonstrated normalization or improvement in ejection fraction and wall motion abnormalities in all patients. Radionuclide angiography is cost effective, can be performed in the emergency department, and can assist in the management of patients with blunt thoracic or multisystem trauma.
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